Taking Care of Your Metal Cutting Tools

The nature of the work of metal cutters is very rigorous, which is why proper maintenance of these tools is quite essential. Ensuring proper care will help prolong the effective service life of your fiber laser cutting machine or plasma cutting machine and enable you to derive optimum performance from your device.

Fiber Laser Cutter Maintenance Tips

i. Check the symmetry of the equipment components every six months to ensure precision. Are they still properly aligned? Also, pay attention to the cables. Timely correct any abnormalities and readjust your laser cutter to ensure accuracy. Failure to do so, the issues will increase, eventually affecting the cutting quality as well as the effectiveness of your equipment.

ii. Blow away any debris, dust, and dirt inside of your fiber laser cutting machine with a dust blower at least once a week. These elements affect the components of your laser cutter very badly.

iii. Only blowing away dust, dirt and debris is not enough. You need to be a little more thorough when it comes to keeping your fiber laser cutter clean. Be sure to clean up all the vital components of your machine, including the outlet furnace filters on a regular basis. Check your gas line filter, and remove debris or any other impurities from it. Also, clean your focusing mirror/optical lenses after every two weeks.

iv. Be sure to check the cooling water level and add water if it is below the minimum line.

Plasma Cutting Machine Maintenance Tips

i. Remove the gas source, before and after cutting. Before cutting, this precaution ensures that any moisture buildup which may have occurred overnight is eliminated. Moisture can be very dangerous to your equipment as it can cause the arc to become weaker, affecting the performance of your machine. There will always be some residual compressed gas left in the pipes after cutting has been completed. If a large amount of gas is left, it can reinforce the gas that starts to flow at the beginning of the subsequent cutting session. This reinforced flow can lead to an explosion.

ii. Check the alignment and internal cohesion. Generally, during operation, the alignment of the torch will get disrupted. Even though this doesn’t require you to stop cutting (unless the misalignment is significant), it’s always a good idea to realign the torch after you are through.

iii. It also helps to pay attention to the other components of your plasma cutter, including the start cartridge, nozzle, electrodes, and air filters.

When you apply these precautions, you will get the most out of your plasma or laser cutting machine price. These maintenance steps will not only ensure that you derive optimum performance from your metal cutter, but they will also help prolong the lifespan of your equipment.